utting the health of your baby in the hands of a virtual stranger can be stressful. When you’re interviewing surrogates you probably have very high standards. But no one is perfect. Choose the traits that are the real deal breakers for you and try not to stress about the others. Ultimately your goal and your surrogate’s is to produce a healthy baby at the end of your surrogacy journey.
Focus on traits like this:
Health. This should be your top focus. Carrying a child to term is stressful on any woman’s body. Starting out fit and healthy can make a big difference. Look for someone free of chronic disease, and of good mental health. She should maintain a healthy diet and not smoke or use drugs. She should be willing to refrain from drinking during the pregnancy.
Intelligence. You should be confident that your surrogate understands the legalities of the surrogate arrangement and the responsibilities she is accepting by agreeing to carry your child. She should be aware of the importance of prenatal care and testing and willing to comply with doctor’s recommendations.
Responsible. Look for someone who will take her role as surrogate seriously. The ideal candidate will have the common sense to take care of herself throughout the pregnancy, follow through on doctor’s instructions and not take unnecessary risks. She should call the doctor with any concerns and get plenty of rest, exercise and nutritious food.
Communicative. You want a surrogate who will keep in touch with you regularly – updating you on any developments or milestones in the pregnancy as well as any medical changes. Make sure that you and the surrogate are on the same page on this. She may define communication as informing you of medical testing results, while you may want to know when she feels the first flutter or kick. She should also communicate regularly with her doctor and the surrogacy agency.
Flexible. Pregnancies are unpredictable. A surrogate needs to be able to adapt to unexpected changes. How will she feel if she is placed on bed rest? Is she willing to revise her lifestyle to manage any developments in the pregnancy? Does she have a good support system of family and friends if she runs into any problems?
To learn more about the qualities you should look for in a surrogate, or to begin your surrogacy journey, contact the experts at Surrogate Solutions. Gayle and her staff can walk you through every step of the process and help you to make decisions that are right for you and your family.
